The Alaska men's basketball team got its first official commitments Wednesday, signing transfer Ondrej Palecek and freshman Ben Teer, head coach Clemon Johnson announced.
Palecek, a 6-8 postman, played two seasons with Panola College in Carthage, Texas, after graduating from high school in the Czech Republic in 2009. He was the starting center for the Ponies, who compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region XIV.
“I informed him we needed his muscle, bulk and nastiness and he smiled,” Johnson said.
Palecek was a leader both on and off the court, leading the team to a 17-8 record and finishing each semester on the President's List with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. He plans to continue his college studies in business administration with a minor in finance at Alaska.
Before coming to America, Palecek was a big-time high school player at Mendelovo Gymnazium in Opava, Czech Republic. He split time between power forward and center and was named an All-Czech All-Star in his senior season in 2009.
His biggest accomplishment was winning a gold medal in the 2006 U16 European Championships as a member of the Czech team's starting five.
“Ondrej is expected to provide rebounding and interior muscle for us on defense,” Johnson said. “His size and passing ability will provide opportunities to expand our offensive philosophy, but it was his bruising defense and fundamental rebounding skills that drew my attention.”
On the other side of the court, Palecek was a perennial scoring leader for the U14-U18 Czech teams, averaging better than 22 points per game in each season.
“Ondrej will be one of three post players for next season. We are still seeking one more,” Johnson said.
Teer, a 5-9 guard from Maine, won a state championship in his final season with Washington Academy in East Machias, Maine in 2010 after the team finished 22-1. He averaged 18.8 points, 6.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds as the squad's starting point guard and team captain.
It was a showcase year for Teer, as he broke 1,000 career points. He is the only player to ever score 1,000+ and win a state title with Washington Academy.
Last season, he averaged eight points and 4.5 assists per game for Lee Academy, a prep school in Lee, Maine. His best game came against Notre Dame Prep, then the No. 2 prep school in the country, when he posted 19 points and eight rebounds.
All of Lee's starters were recruited or signed by NCAA Division I teams--a testament to the overall talent that surrounded Teer.
“Ben is an explosive, pure point guard,” Johnson said. "Many players today are shooting guards that are trying to fill in as point guards for their team. Ben will run the offense and create scoring opportunities for his teammates and himself.”
Away from the court, Teer was a National Honor Society Member and won Washington Academy's Golden Apple Award for making the honor roll 15 consecutive times. He is undecided what he will study at Alaska.
